Self-adjustable hat-retainer.



H. SMITH.

SELF ADJUSTABLE HAT RETAINER.

APPLICATION IILED APR. 2G, 1913.

/TNESSES NRE ATTORNEYS H. SMITH.

SELF ADJUSTABLE HAT RETAINER.

AlPLlGATION FILED APR.2G,1913. 1302729266, Patented Sept. 2, 1913.

2.SHEETS-SHBBT 2.

WIT/VESSES UNITED STATES HERBERT SMITH, OF -YONKERS, NEW YORK.

SELF-ADJUSTABLE HAT-RETAINER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 2, l 91.3.

Application led April 26,`L1913. Serial No. 763,808.

To all whom t may concern.'

Be it known that l, I-lnnnnn'r SMITH, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Yonkers, in the county oi Vestchester and State ot New York, have invented a new and Improved Self-Adjustable Hat-Retainer, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to improvements in hat racks and more particularly to a selfadjustable hat retainer for portable hat racks such as are used in hat shops during the process of manufacturing for the purpose of supporting the hats and transporting the same from place to place.

The essential object of the invention is comprehended in the provision of an improved retaining means tor the hats designed by application to the racks to hold the hats in upright or inverted positions and designed to adjust itselil automatically to hats of ditlerent sizes and shapes or styles.

Vith the above and other objects in view, the invention resides more particularly in the peculiar combination and arrangement ot' parts which will be illustrated as a preferred embodiment in the accompanying drawings and described in the specification.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specilication, in which similar' characters ot: reference indicate corresponding parts in all the views and in which- Figure l is a front elevation of a hat rack provided with my improved adjustable rctainer; Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view of the device with a hat in position therein and with the retainer shown in solid lines in its operative position and in dotted lines in its inoperative position; Fig. Bis a :fragmentary vertical sectional view of a slightly modified form for holding the hats in an upright position; Fig. et is a front elevation oit the structure shown in Fig. 3; and Fig. 5 is an enlarged sectional view showing the stop and guide for the connecting rod of the retaining members.

In the drawings, a well known form of hat rack is illust-rated, the same embodying spaced rectangular frames l0 and 1l connected at their ends by cross braces l2 and having their top and bottom portions connected at equi-dist-antly spaced points by means otuprights 13. The bottom portions of the Afames 10l are connected by transverse base-boards 14, 1n which the bottom portions oi. the trames are seated, while the extremities oit said baselmards extend beyond the frames to support the latter and prevent the saine from tipping over. It will also be observed that the trames converge toward their upper ends, and this is for the purpose oi' eiliciently stabilizing the rack while the upper portions ot the frames are connected by transverse cleats 'l5 to :turther rigidi't'y the structure and to permit the rack to withstand the rough usage to which it is subjected during the transportation of the hats.

The end portions of the frames l() and the uprights 13 are connected by longitudinal rungs or rods 1G which are disposed in spaced pairs at the rear side ot` the rack, while the rangs or rods 17 connect said end portions and uprights at the front side ot the rack in staggered relation to the rungs or rods 1G, as shown in liig. 2 ot the drawings, or as shown in Fig. 3, the rungs 18 are disposed so that the lower rung in each pair will be substantially in alinement horizontally with the rungs 1) at the :front oi the rack. The purpose ot' this is to hold the hats in ditl'erent positions, either inverted or upright, as illustrated, but owing to the rough usage to which the racks are subjected the hats become dislodged easily, resulting in their becoming mixed up and often injured.

It the object ot this invention to preventthe dislodgment oil? the hats by means o'li a simple, durable and positively acting contrivance, and with this end in view, for holding the hais in inverted positions the end portions ot' the :trame l() and the uprights 1,23 ot said Ytrame have journaled thereon in bearing straps 2t), preferably adjacent to the rangs i7 and slightly spaced above the saine, the crank portions 2l of a plurality oi. retaining members having substantially semi-circular engaging members between the crank portions and the verl ical members of the iframe. The extremities of the wire or metal sections t'orming the retaining members are mounted in similar bearing straps at the ends ot the trames and the engaging portions 2.2 are held centralized with respect to the vertical members of the trame. The racks are so construellul as to hold a predetermined number oli hats, but this depends upon the sizes of the hats to be held within reasonable range and the sizes ot the racks which may be varied as desired.

ln order to hold the retaining memberS adjacent the upper and lower crank portions of the retaining members corresponding thereto. rilhe upper extremity of the rod 25 is directed rearwardly to provide a substantially horizontally disposed but slightly inclined portion 27, to the inner extremity of which a contractile spring 28 is connected and in turn connected or anchored to the rear frame 1l for lraising the rod Y25 and. moving it toward the front rungs, thus similarly shifting the rod 26 and causing the engaging portions 22 of the retaining members to move to operative positions. In order t0 guide the rods during this movement a depending stop arm 29 is secured to the adjacent end member of the frame 10, and is provided with an offset lower portion which receives the portion 27 therebeneath and which passes under an inward extension 30 of the rod 25 at a spaced distance below the portion 27 so as to guide the retainers and prevent the rod 25 from being shifted longitudinally with respect to the rack. The spring 28 normally holds the retainers in operat-ive position but they may be lowered through the instrumentality of the rods 25 and 26 by means of a grasping portion 31 bent in an angular direction outwardly at the lower end of the rod 25, and which is designed for engagement beneath a pin or lug 32 extending outwardly from the adjacent end member of the rack for holding the retaining members in the inoperative or dotted line position. It will be observed that as the retaining members are swung outwardly the rod 25 will be spaced from the rack so that its engaging end 31 will pass over the pin 32 to such an extent as to be readily snapped or engaged therebeneath to hold the retaining members against movement under the tension of the spring.

In Fig. 2 of the drawings a hat 33 is shown having a guard band 34 mounted on its crown in contact with the brim of the hat, and in this form of the invention the hats are supported in inverted position so that the brims will extend between the rear pairs of rungs 16, and the hats will be supported by means of the band upon the rungs 17, while the retaining members, through the instrumentality of their` engaging members 22, will conform to the curvature of the crowns or bands under the action of the spring 28 tending to elevate the same. Thus it will be obvious that the rungs 16 will prevent rearward displacement oi' theA hats while the retaining members will prevent forward displacement or" the hats or dislodgment of the same from the rack. n

In the form of the invention shown in Figs. 3 and 4: of the drawings, the crank portions of the retaining members are spaced above the rungs 19 to provide spaces 35 for accommodating the brim of the hat, so that the hats will be supported substantially horizontally, as shown, and in uprightpositions. hats the retaining members will act in the usual way under the tension of the spring 28, but the retaining members are completely elevated when the hats are placed in position, then the said members are lowered to the solid line position shown in Fig. 3 so that when they are released the spring will draw the engaging members 22 against the In this manner ofsmpporting the guard bands 34 and displacement of the hats will be prevented.

Considerable advantage attaches to the device owing to the fact that the retaining members may be held in horizontal positions and in this manner act as supports for the hats, but in addition to this the retaining what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. The combination of a hat rack embodying spaced frames, spaced pairs of rungs 'carried by one Jframe and coperating rungs carried by the other frame for supporting the hats with the brims engaged between the pairs of rungs and the crowns supported on the other rungs, retaining sections extending longitudinally across the rack and having engaging portions and intermediate portions journaled on the trame having the coperating rungs, tions formed with said retaining sections, rods connecting said crank portions, one of said rods having a grasping portion for shifting the retaining sections on their pivots, and means for the grasping portion. y

2. The combination of a hat rack embodying spaced frames, spaced pairs of rungs carried by one frame and coperating rungs carried by the other frame for supporting the hats with the brims engaged between the pairs of rungs and the crowns supported on the other rungs, retaining sections extending longitudinally across the rack and having engaging portions and intermediate portions journaled on the frame having the cocrank poroperating rungs, Crank portions formed with said retaining sections, rods eonneeting said crank portions, one ot' said rods having a grasping portion for shifting the retaining sections on their pivots, said rod having the grasping portion being provided with an inwardly extended end, a spring connecting the trame to said end 'for exerting pull on the latter to move the retaining sections to engaging positions, and means carried by the frame and engaging said inturned end for guiding the rods during their' movement.

3. The combination of a hat rack embodying spaced frames, spaced pairs of rungs carried by one frame and cooperating rungs carried by the other 'frame for supporting the hats with the brims engaged between the pairs ott rungs and the crowns supported on the other rungs, retaining sections extending longitudinally aeross the rack and having engaging portions and intermediate portions journaled on the iframe having the eooperating rungs, crank portions formed with said retaining sections, rods connecting said crank portions, one of said rods hav` ing a grasping portion t'or shifting the retaining sections on their pivots, said rod having the grasping portion being provided with an inwardly extended end, a spring eonneeting the iframe to said end ttor exerting pull ou the latter to move the retaining seetions to engaging positions, and means carried by the frame and engaging said inturned end 'lor guiding the rods during their movements, said means also forming a stop.

In testimony whereof I have signed my .name to this speeilieation in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

HERBERI' SMITH.

Vitnesses JOHN HANTFIN, MionAicL Donnoo'n.

Copies of th'is patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, '.D. C. 

